The international forces in Afghanistan play a positive role but are not operating very effectively, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday at a meeting with members of the Valdai discussion club.

       The international forces in Afghanistan play a positive role but are not operating very effectively, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday at a meeting with members of the Valdai discussion club.

       "We believe that the international forces are playing a positive role in Afghanistan. It must be said they are not acting very effectively, particularly from the point of view of the drug threat. But overall, definitely, they are playing a positive role," Putin said.

       For that reason, Russia took the "unprecedented" step of allowing NATO transit of Russian air space and overland routes to Afghanistan.

       NIKOLO-URYUPINO (Moscow Region), November 11 (RIA Novosti)

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